Mahogany Eyes
by DarkMignonette
Summary: Three years later, Yusuke returns home to a mess more intimidating than any Demon tournament. "With her black hair and doe eyes, he thought, 'Am I looking into a mirror, or a time machine?" Yusuke/Keiko. Slight AU.
1. Momma

**xxx**

 **xx**

 **x**

...

...

..

Yusuke inhaled a deep, deep breath.

For the first time in three years, the bottom of his beat up chucks touched Tokyo asphalt. The sunset painted the sky a burst of pink and orange behind the city skyline, and Yusuke felt he could almost taste the bright colors in the air, scent of human living on the wind; minuscule details he never noticed previously but learned to miss under the hot Makai sun and youkai stench.

He picked up his step, noticing places imprinted with his memories; he beat a school's thief's ass one summer behind that gas station, or that time Keiko tripped by that fence post and he laughed and they fought like cats and dogs for a week afterwards. Nostalgia and loneliness pinched his heart, and he jogged down the increasingly dim road. He turned right onto a residential street.

He almost wanted to pinch himself, to make sure the streetlights above really shined on regular ol Yusuke Urameshi in the human world, that this hauntingly familiar neighborhood was reality and not another dream. Nothing had changed, he felt like he could be fourteen again.

Yusuke's feet touched the porch of a medium sized two story house. A family home. Nothing unusual. _Three years and two days late._ Yusuke gulped. Very few times in the past had Yusuke Uramshi let fear creep into his thoughts, though his current anxiety wasn't from an opponent per se, and he had experience this particular kind of fear long before his job as spirit detective. His mouth dried out and he wiped his sweaty palms on the back of his jeans.

He took in another deep breath. His pulse roared in his ears.

 _'Get on with it, pussy.'_

The door had a bell but he never used it. It was well after nine so the restaurant had to be closed. He knocked on the door like old times. The familiar echo reverberated through his heart.

He waited but heard nothing but the loud drones of cicadas. July heat clung to his back and neck through his tank top and the bugs sang in the midst of full summer. He heard no sound of activity from the house. Worry clenched in his gut, though he wasn't sure why. He hated this powerless feeling, anxious over the fact that maybe she had moved on with someone else, or something had happened, anything could have happened...Yusuke cursed himself. Man, was he ever a dumbass.

He rapped on the door, louder this time.

Finally he heard footsteps, soft clumsy steps, and he straightened his shoulders, prepared for the worse. Maybe she'd be pissed, maybe she..she had waited after all? She could also be at some after school shit and only his buddy Yukimura-san be home for all he knew, since he dropped by out of the blue.

He flinched on reflex waiting for the back hand slap he probably deserved when the door opened and a small form drew his gaze much lower to the floor. With the main door wide open and the screen half open Yusuke found himself peering into the wide curious brown eyes of a child.

Confusion muddled his thoughts. He knew he had the right damn house. He cleared his throat. "Hey there kid...uh.."

What in the fuck should he say? The little girl studied him with a noncommittal expression while standing boldly past the door onto the porch. She wore a little cotton polka dot dress, her ink black hair pulled into pigtails atop her head, ends grazing her little shoulders. Yusuke noticed she had a lot of hair for a toddler. "I'm uh, looking for Keiko."

She blinked up at him. "Keiko?" she mimicked.

Yusuke shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Yeah's she's...brown hair, pretty, eighteen..." He thought maybe Keiko had family visiting from Osaka. That thought made the most sense.

"Keiko?" She chimed again.

Yusuke rubbed the back of his head with his hands. An awkward grin crossed his face. "Yeah. Keiko," he said again.

She turned and called back into the house. "MOMMA!"

Yusuke frowned, somewhat startled, and nervousness rose high in his throat when he heard quick, adult footsteps headed towards the door. His shoulders tensed but the baby waited in the doorway, nonplussed.

"Kaori!" A slim brunette entered the doorway and emotion flooded Yusuke's heart as if someone had both stabbed it and filled it with adoration. _Keiko_. She grasped the little girl's hand. "What did I tell you about opening the front door without-"

She swung her head up and noticed the frozen Yusuke standing beneath the awning. Time halted and he didn't hear the cicadas or the noises of the city anymore. Deep mahogany met chestnut brown eyes as they locked gazes.

Elation and guilt and love swelled his heart, but the right words wouldn't form on his lips. He repeated her name again. That's all he could manage.

He stepped back a pace without a thought when she rushed into his arms and he caught her, his hands around her waist, his senses bombed by lavender and the warm scent of Keiko herself and the Yukimura household. She clung to him like he was departing again and not returning home. He felt her soft curves, almost delicate in his strong arms, and he squeezed her tighter, unable to stop himself. Her bountiful breasts pushed against his chest and his face burned with a distinct memory. He hoped again that he really held his beautiful girlfriend in his arms, that he wouldn't wake to the rigid stone walls of his demon world chamber. He had it bad. He knew he did. He was as lovesick as his departed Mazoku Father.

After a long moment of no words, with Yusuke's face buried in her hair, she pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. Her fingers were soft like flower petals. "I've missed you," she whispered. Her eyes shimmered in the dim light with tears.

"Momma?"

Concerned, the toddler tugged on the bottom of Keiko's blouse. She had watched them with confusion and slight unease etched onto her little features, brown eyes changed from curiosity to suspicion. "Momma?"

Yusuke stared at Keiko, confusion slamming his thought process to a halt. The word the little one used again finally sank in to his brain, past the rush of seeing Keiko. Keiko's face flamed red, but she withdrew from him and enveloped the girl's tiny hand in her own. "It's ok baby," she soothed.

Yusuke's mouth hung open. He was at a total loss. He had not expected _this,_ whatever _this_ situation even was, he didn't know. Keiko beared his shocked reaction with an embarrassed smile.

She chewed the corner of her lip, a habit he recognized as nervousness. She used to tear her lips up during exams. "Come inside," She said.

Silent, he shoved his hands in his pockets and followed her in the house, unable to tear his gaze away from the little girl staring back at him with eerily familiar mahogany eyes.

 **xxxx**

 **xx**

 **x**

* * *

...

...

..

 _I know, I know, there are two other projects I need to be working on. But this is a present for the patient Yu x Kei fans. I need more stories with them so if ya'll want to write them I will read them! This story has been running around my head for a while. I don't think this plot has been done, but if not I felt it needs to exist so here is the first chapter. Keep in mind 1)I don't have a beta, 2)I just churned this out 3)Lets call it freestyle writing or something haha it's probably awful. I'll edit it better later. I break some writing rules I think, but this is fanfiction so fuck it lol._

 _This will be rated for Yusuke's mouth and some sexual stuff. A romance story so expect light smut, I would predict._

 _Lame fanfiction title is lame but I love Yusuke's eyes(is that weird? He's an anime dude but idgaf Yusuke is hot hot hot !) They have some significance. Also it's been awhile since I've watched the whole series, even though YYH was my childhood I still may forget some things, so if this happens feel free to correct me and I'll fix it._

 _I am continuing Heart of Youkai and Lost Rhapsody(my Hobbit fic), for anyone else reading._

 _Thanks for reading! Please write Yusuke/Keiko fics! And I'm older now so I love lemons haha. (I prefer the throwback term). I heart you!_

 _v1 - Friday, 11:06 p.m. 3/4/16. )o(_


	2. Rain

She watched the evening shadows swallow his lean figure as he began the first steps in his journey, away from her and to a land she could not follow.

A burst of panic made her jolt from her seat at the window and open the widow pane with a slam. How was she supposed to live without his jokes, his laugh, his presence at her back as he walked her home, or the burning look in his eyes when they were alone? Three long years without his touch, his voice, the tender way he held her hand. She felt like death was tearing him away from her all over again, and she herself would die a little inside, like a wilted flower without the blazing presence that was Yusuke.

She leaned out the window, a cool evening breeze ruffling her hair. "Wait!"

The lone figure in the gloom paused, his shoulders tense, and he gazed up in her direction. Her anxiety died down, but she still flew down the stairs and out into the night.

She caught up to him. Hands shoved in his jacket pockets, he gazed at her solemnly, eyes sad. With him Keiko was used to expressions of ease, anger, sometimes stormy emotions but not the defeated look of sadness. "Kei…"

Swallowing her pride and nervousness she stepped close to him, a hand on his chest and stared straight into his eyes. Confusion crossed his face but he didn't pull away. How she adored those intense brown eyes. Dark stubble lined his mouth and chin, a few wild strands of bangs across his forehead, details she wanted to preserve in her memories. "Keiko?"

"Lets…" she bit her lip. "Lets go to your place for a minute."

His eyebrows knitted. "Ok….Why?"

She blew a breath. "Just trust me."

She grasped his hand in her own and he allowed her to lead him down the road, the dingy street lights and stars above their only light. Yusuke lived in the poorer part of town, but she wasn't afraid, not when she had the most powerful man alive at her side.

 **xxx**

Keiko had counted on Atsuko not being home, she didn't know what she would do if her plans fell through, but luckily fate was on her side and the apartment sat empty and quiet, only the tv left flickering in the shadow.

Yusuke studied her beside him, confusion written on his features. They stood in his room, Keiko hesitant, and Yusuke having no idea why and silent. She peered down at her feet, at her pink socks without really seeing them. "What is it, Kei?"

His use of the childhood nickname made her smile. She noticed the concern etched in his features when she met his eyes. The long stare and the thoughts in her head caused an eruption of butterflies in her belly and she hoped she wouldn't lose her nerve. Rain pelted the roof and window and thunder cracked somewhere in the distance. The storm picked up and drowned out the muffled voices of the tv in the living room. She wondered where Atsuko was, his mother could be out all night or she could return home soon. Yusuke also had to leave. She felt as if time were slipping through her fingers like grains of sand, impossible to hold onto. She couldn't hold onto Yusuke either, not for long.

Keiko steeled her resolve.

She closed the space between them and pressed her lips to his.

Yusuke's body tensed, startled, and he grasped her shoulders. The light kiss only lasted a moment before she pulled away and peered up at him, both hands resting on his chest and trembling. She hoped he wouldn't notice. She found a deep emotion in his dark eyes; a mix of love and regret that called to every corner of her soul. He grasped her elbows as if to soothe her trembling.

He opened his mouth to speak but she seized him by his shirt collar and seared his lips with a hard kiss. A muffled groan sounded from his throat but she didn't pull away, and after his surprise subsided he kissed her back with equal passion, his arms cradled around her small waist.

He deepened the kiss and flicked his tongue against hers, pulling her flush against him. Even through his clothing his hard, masculine body set ablaze a fiery need between her legs. He tasted of cigarettes and cinnamon.

They broke for air, Keiko still breathless in his arms, her cheeks pink. He grinned at her. "Well I love you too, Kei."

A shy smile spread across her face and she touched her fingertips to her lips, as if to prove to herself that the kiss had been real. She wiggled out of his embrace and clasped his hand, tugging him towards the rumpled sheets of his bed.

His eyebrows shot upwards.

Keiko's pulse roared in her ears as she raised her sweater and pulled it over her head, her gaze steady with his. Yusuke's mouth dropped open. She tossed her shirt aside and stood in front of him in a light pink bra. Sure, he had seen her underwear before, but this time was different.

Yusuke said nothing. He kept glancing from her face, down to her generous line of cleavage, and back again. He cleared his throat. "Keiko?"

Her whole face colored pink as she unbuttoned her pants with shaking fingers. Despite herself, this time she couldn't meet his eyes. She kept her gaze trained on the ceiling. She stepped out of her jeans.

Yusuke scorched her skin with an intense look, as he trailed his eyes up her long legs, past the planes of her flat stomach, and lingered on her breasts. He couldn't help himself. He swiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "W-what," He cleared his throat, his voice hoarse. "What're you doing?"

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. So much bare skin felt weird, felt vulnerable, and the air conditioner chilled her arms and legs. She thought maybe he didn't like her plain white polka dot panties, but the day's events hadn't been planned out and had now spiraled out of control.

She peeled her panties down her legs and stepped out of them. Yusuke stared at her in shock, as he glanced down at the neat, dark down of curls at the center of her thighs, before dragging his gaze back to her face, painfully slow as if it hurt to do so. She smiled at him nervously. She unclasped her bra and the garment fell away, forgotten.

His dark eyes burned with a heavy, strange emotion. Desire zinged through her when she realized it was lust. She held her middle, but didn't cover her breasts, the mounds of pale flesh still exposed to his eyes.

He dragged a hand down his face and let out a ragged sigh. "Oh man. Keiko. I'm supposed to tell you no."

His words crushed her at first. "You don't like me?"

"Of course I do! Damn you're beautiful, sexy, hot… my dreams never even came close."

She sent him a bashful smile. She blushed again at the admission of nocturnal fantasies involving her, and wondered how many years she had starred in his dreams. It both embarrassed and flattered her. "I…just want this before you go. Is that alright?"

She sat down on the bed, fully nude and vulnerable. She fidgeted in her spot. Yusuke's stood rigid in front of her, as if one wrong move would crumble his resolve. She really hoped Atsuko stayed out all night.

She held a hand out to him.

He stripped off his jacket and shirt and tossed them on the floor. It was her turn to gape at his bared flesh. She studied his wide chest, his tan skin peppered with scars, and the dark trail of hair that ran down his abs into his jeans. She swallowed. She had always wanted his very strong, very male form shoved against her body, and sometimes her dreams had run wild with the dirty thoughts she kept hidden away in the daytime. She thought maybe she was caught in one of those fantasies and would wake alone in her bedroom at any moment.

He clasped her hand and they both crashed into the bed, into a mix of tangled limbs. She had broken his will, and he wanted to worship her body and show her how much he wanted this. He pressed her back into the mattress and ravaged her mouth with a kiss, his arms trailing up and down her torso. He devoted time to her breasts, squeezing the soft flesh in his palms.

She moaned when he cupped a breast in one hand and covered a pink nipple with his mouth, his other hand kneading the opposite mound. New sensations barraged her senses, a pulsing ache spreading through the pit of her belly down into the apex of her thighs.

She gripped his strong shoulders, one hand sweeping through his messy black hair, strands wild and half covering his face. She arched her back and filled the space between them as he repositioned himself at face level with her, savoring the taste of the skin at her neck and sucked on the flesh at the side of her throat.

Keiko felt half mad with desire, lost in the physical pleasure of her boyfriend's sturdy body all around her. After several more kisses Yusuke tore himself away from her, unbuttoning his pants and awkwardly kicking them off onto the floor. More moisture damped her center at the sight of his lean, muscular thighs. He lay on the bed and yanked her back against him, his black boxers the only barrier between that last spot of skin.

She gazed into his face, ignoring her embarrassment over the hard shaft against her legs and she boldly ground her hips into his. He let out a loud moan, his eyes hazy with arousal.

She traced her hand around his tense back, down to his ass (which she couldn't deny that she loved to appreciate now and then), and tugged on his boxers. He hissed in a mix of pleasure and pain and pulled them down. Keiko closed her eyes.

He settled over her and with one thrust buried himself in her womanhood. The fragile wall of her virginity tore, Yusuke moaned and they both stared at each other in shock. Neither one had known how exactly sex would feel. Keiko studied all the dark flecks in his rich mahogany brown irises and waited for the pain to subside.

Frozen above her, their legs entwined on the bed, Yusuke planted a kiss on her lips. His voice had turned husky. "Does it hurt, Kei?" He cupped the side of her face.

She smiled. "A little. Keep going."

"I love you."

Keiko wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Joy filled every chamber of her heart. "I love you too, Yusuke."

 **xxx**

"I can't leave."

They huddled together on the bed, hands laced together, basking in the afterglow. Keiko had climaxed and she never knew her body could erupt into pleasure beyond reasoning, every pore in her skin alight with a delicious fire. And how sexy the passionate Yusuke had been. She feared she had started a new favorite hobby between them.

She pulled the covers up to her chin. A shadow lingered over her happiness. "You have to, Yusuke."

He scowled. "What kind of asshole do you think I am?"

Keiko exhaled a shakey breath. "I thought spirit world labeled you dangerous. You're a wanted man."

Yusuke scoffed. "I don't care about those fucks."

She didn't bother to correct his cursing. She closed her eyes and swallowed the pain, she wanted nothing more than to lay in his arms forever, and forget about demon world and all the craziness she barely even understood. But she couldn't hold him back. She forced herself to whisper every painful word. "You'll never be satisfied until you learn about your demon heritage. It will eat away at you. Fate is pushing you in that direction Yusuke. You can't ignore it."

"But Kei…"

"But nothing."

He sighed, and circled the back of her hand in a gentle movement. "I don't want to be away from you that long. It scares me."

She hated how a dark cloud hovered over their happiness. Her eyes shimmered with tears. "It scares me too. But you'll be ok. We'll be ok." She shifted and laid her head on his chest. She heard no heartbeat. "I'll wait for you."

Yusuke's voice sounded thick. "God I love you Keiko. I promise I'll be back. I love you."

"I love you too. Can we lay here awhile?"

"'Course. Then I'll walk you home. Thanks Kei. Best going away present ever." He kissed her forehead.

Later that night, after the rain died down to a light mist, they walked slowly hand and hand back to the Yukimura household, and for him, Keiko held back her tears. She had never known the true meaning of bittersweet until that moment.

On the way home, Keiko mentally cursed her recklessness. With a start she realized they hadn't used a condom.

 **xxx**

 **xx**

 **x**

* * *

AN: Thanks for the feedback, whether it be favs or reviews. Def not a perfect writer lol, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading!(: More to come. I love re reading positive reviews for inspiration.


	3. Un-break My Heart

xxx

Keiko curled into a ball on the bathroom floor, shivering, as life hurled a challenge straight at her wounded heart. It took her breath away.

Her breasts ached, nausea had her rushing to the toilet every morning, and certain food smells left her starving, while others disgusted her and sent her running from the room. A month and a half had passed by with no period, worst of all.

The pregnancy test was colored a pastel pink, as if every pregnancy was a celebrated, wanted one. A single tear trailed down her cheek. She had stared at the two lines on the test for fifteen minutes. Her body felt numb. Anxiety had her close to retching again.

With shaking hands she flung the test in the trash and covered it with toilet paper. She scowled, angry at her turn of bad luck, her stupidity. Unprotected sex with Yusuke. She had attended health classes at school. She knew better. How could she have been so, so, stupid!

Sixteen and pregnant. She held her knees to her chest. Her parents were going to disown her. How could she attend school with a swollen belly? Not to mention the shame. Sarayashiki's star student fallen so far from grace, and Yusuke was long gone. She swallowed a sob. She had told him to go to demon world. She felt selfish, which made her feel worse, but she wished he had stayed after all. She was alone.

She rubbed a hand across her belly. Well, not completely alone, not anymore. Keiko heaved a ragged sigh. It felt like the weight of the world was crushing her shoulders, crushing her life. When would the shock wear off and start the flood of tears?

Someone tapped on the door. "Keiko honey, you alright?"

Her mom thought she merely had some sort of bug, or stomach virus. Guilt sank Keiko's heart like lead. "I'm ok," she called.

"Did you take your medicine?"

"Yeah."

Keiko heard nothing from the other side of the door, before her mother's footsteps receded from the room. Keiko knew she had to tell them the truth; but the thought of that ugly conversation upset her stomach. The looming sense of doom and fear kept her mouth shut.

She had to tell someone, but not her parents, not yet. She hoped her confession would ease some of the pain of this disaster. Trembling, she rose to her feet.

She splashed cold water on her face and stared at the girl in the mirror. Her shoulder length hair was unbrushed, and dark circles hung beneath her large eyes. Her chestnut irises reflected pain. Her future was now tarnished by shame. She loved Yusuke, but she never got into trouble like Yusuke. She always made her parents and teachers proud, was well liked by her peers. She had never been ostracized like Yusuke. Well now, she would first-hand understand the meaning of rejection. And the only person who would always love her, was a lifetime away.

She wiped the stray tears from her face and collected the tattered remnants of her resolve. She tore strength from the depths of her soul and it hurt down into her bones.

She opened the door and walked downstairs, one heavy foot after another, as if everything was fine, told her parents she was going out with a cool expression, as if her life hadn't been torn upside down and inside out.

 **xxx**

Keiko tapped on the door of the Kuwabara household, hovering on the porch like a wraith, the morning sunshine unnoticed and unappreciated, like light would never penetrate the gloom of her situation. A dark cloud lingered over her and covered her mind with stormy thoughts.

She was grateful when Shizuru opened the door, clad in shorts and a tank top, cigarette in hand. The boss of the household. "Hey kid," she smiled at Keiko.

Keiko smiled but no light reached her eyes. Shizuru studied her expression, and the older woman saw straight through Keiko's unsteady facade, past her fake sort of calm. "What's wrong?"

Keiko looked down at her shoes, fighting back the river of tears she felt right behind her eyes. Her friend's concern chipped away at her control; she knew she wouldn't receive much kindness from anyone from now on. "Actually I wanted to talk to you about…something, if that's alright."

Shizuru stepped aside in the doorway, concern etched on her features. "Of course. Come in sweetheart."

 **xxx**

"You're what?"

A feeling like stage fright churned in Keiko's stomach. She looked down at her lap, unable to meet the other girl's wide eyes. "Pregnant," she whispered.

Keiko tried to blink back her tears, but her eyes stung and they cascaded down her face anyway. She sniffled, her cheeks damp as the tears poured down her face. She tried and tried to will them away, but it was if the damn had broken and she had lost all control.

Shizuru's eyebrows knitted in concern. She reached across the table, past the cups of tea and grasped Keiko's hand in her own. She was still shocked by her friend's confession, but the poor girl's big watery brown eyes tugged on her heartstrings. She had known something was amiss the second Keiko stepped on the porch, she noticed the teen's usual pink and blue aura had darkened into a stormy indigo.

"Oh honey…" Shizuru studied Keiko's defeated expression. "When…when did this happen?"

A sob rose high in her throat. She clutched Shizuru's hand, grateful for the gesture and for the soft tone in the other girl's voice. "I-I guess," she sniveled, "about two months ago."

"Does Yusuke know?"

Keiko shook her head.

Shizuru realized the full extent of Keiko's situation. She felt another wave of sympathy for the girl. "Oh…Yusuke's in…" _Demon world_. She let her words trail off, not wanting to upset Keiko further. She took a long drag from her cigarette. "For how long?"

"Three years."

Shizuru patted Keiko's hand and retrieved a box of tissues from the cupboard. She sat next to the brunette at the kitchen table, handed her a few tissues and rubbed her back in soothing circles. Keiko's expression broke. She sobbed into her hands. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"We'll make it. Have you told anyone?"

Keiko shook her head, eyes red and glassy with tears. She wanted to tell Shizuru how grateful she was of the girl's calm reaction. She hadn't even started asking Keiko if she would keep the baby or not, she hadn't saddled her with shame. Shame for being careless and shame for crying, it was neverending; she wanted to say thank you but tender sobs replaced all words. If she was adult enough to have sex she was adult enough not to cry, but instead she cried like a child.

Shizuru set her cigarette in the ash tray. She wrapped her arms around the other girl and pulled her into a hug, which only brought forth a new wave of tears from Keiko. "I'll help you," Shizuru whispered into her hair, "whatever you need, just let me know." She empathized with the distraught teen, the girl was shaking.

Keiko prayed her own mother took the news so well, but she doubted it. She didn't even want to think about her father. Keiko nodded into Shizuru's shoulder. She held a tissue between her face and the other girl's shoulder.

"Hey sis, what're we 'doin for…food?" Kuwabara shuffled into the kitchen, and paused at the sight of the two women.

"Not right now Kazuma!"

Seeing the scene before him, Kuwabara wanted to ask if Keiko was ok, but his sister sent him a glare in warning. He crept through the kitchen and up the stairs to study, until whatever episode in the other room had passed. _Women_.

 **xxx**

Keiko sat in the only clean spot on the couch in Atsuko's living room. Shizuru sat cross legged in a kitchen chair, near Keiko, who appreciated the other girl's steady presence. She had insisted on accompanying Keiko to the Urameshi household in case things turned sour.

Empty beer cans and sake bottles covered the floor, and the stench of trash and booze hung over the apartment as well as the stale smell of cigarette smoke. Atsuko Urameshi reclined on her futon, her dark hair limp down her back and a haze over her eyes. A black baby doll negligee clung to her slim frame.

Keiko knew Atsuko didn't wake till noon, but she had wanted to catch her before she started drinking; that brief, magical time in between, to talk to the real, sober Atsuko. She had no idea how drunk Atsuko would take the news.

Atsuko sipped from her black coffee. "So what's up?"

Keiko shifted in her spot. She felt the weight of Shizuru's concern at her back as both women gazed at her expectantly. "Well…" She cleared her throat. "I have some bad news." Anxiety drilled holes in her stomach.

Atsuko took a drag from her cigarette. A hint of worry flashed in her eyes. "About Yusuke? What's he done now?" She coughed out a haze of smoke. "I notice he's gone off again."

Keiko had no idea how a mother dealt with her son's dangerous antics. But they both knew Yusuke benefited from his job, his training giving him a calm center to all the angry, reckless energy that had plagued him since childhood; he used to be a rebel without a cause, but Genkai's teachings had turned him into a man. God, she missed him.

Sadness filled her heart as she watched Atsuko reach for the half empty sake bottle on the table. She poured herself a shot and offered some to Shizuru, but the brunette gratefully declined. Atsuko didn't bother asking Keiko. She had always called Keiko 'her good girl.' "How long is he gone this time, do you know?"

Keiko chewed on the corner of her lip. "Three years."

Silence settled over the room. Only the distant sound of traffic droned on endlessly from the window. Atsuko hadn't even turned the tv on yet to watch the afternoon news. Keiko heard the click of Shizuru's lighter as she lit another cigarette.

Atsuko laughed darkly. "That brat." She threw her head back and took the shot, slamming the glass down on the table. "He doesn't care about us."

Her words stung Keiko. By 'us' she meant herself and Keiko, the only people Yusuke had first trusted in his life, back when he pushed anyone else away and when others feared him. "He had to go," the teen whispered. Her eyes filled with tears.

Atsuko scoffed. "I don't know how you believe in him like you do." She ashed her cigarette in the overflowing ashtray. "You're too good for him."

Keiko stared down at her hands without really seeing them. No wonder Yusuke had always been so moody, when his mother's heart was an ocean of bitterness; but this was old news. "That's not even what I came to tell you."

She willed her eyes to look into her face even though they strained to turn away. The older woman held the sake bottle painfully tight. "Atsuko-san I'm pregnant."

Shizuru crossed and uncrossed her legs. Atsuko blinked her bloodshot eyes. She stared at Keiko, her features muddled with confusion. "What?"

Keiko held in a breath. "It's true," she whispered.

" _What_ -" Atsuko's face twisted with anger. She took another shot before picking up the bottle by the neck and with a grimace flung it across the room. Keiko winced. The glass hit the wall and shattered to pieces, sake spilling on the floor and staining the walls. "That no good-" Atsuko let out an angry yell. "Just like his father!"

Shizuru stepped in and laid a hand on the other woman's bare shoulder. "Hey he doesn't know," she muttered. "He'll come back."

Atsuko continued on as if she hadn't heard her. Keiko clutched her hands in her lap, knuckles white. "That little bastard!" Keiko winced again. She knew this wouldn't go well. She thought it might trigger unpleasant emotion for his mother, and she would steadily drink and bury herself into a drunk rage, and make it worse, before passing out.

Atsuko lurched up from her futon and grabbed Keiko's wrist, yanking her into her arms. Keiko stumbled and almost fell into her embrace. "Oh honey, I've been there," Atsuko cried into her hair. She smelled of sake and roses. "I'll help you. Have you told your parents? You can stay here if you have to. Oh god, Keiko-"

Tears streaked Atsuko's face and dampened Keiko's shirt and hair. "Poor girl. He seen me suffer the same way and he still knocked you up and ran like a coward! When I see him I'm gonna…"

Keiko choked back her tears. "He doesn't know Atsuko. He doesn't."

"I don't care," Atsuko sobbed. She pulled back and held both sides of Keiko's face. Moisture clung to Atsuko's dark lashes like tiny shards of crystal. The scent of sake hit Keiko in the face. "I'll help you sweetheart. I won't let you suffer alone like I did."

Shizuru pulled a few tissues from her purse and handed them to both women. Keiko stood frozen while Atsuko wiped tears from the teen's face. "Your parents are gonna be furious."

Keiko swallowed a lump in her throat. "I know."

She hugged the older women tightly as they both unleashed their sorrows, Atsuko wounded to the core from years of hurt and who knows what else, and Keiko cried in her shame. She loved Yusuke; she would love this baby, but she didn't know how much of her life would be sacrificed for this tiny, fragmented family.

She spotted Yusuke's room over Atsuko's shoulder. Martial arts posters here and there, empty cigarette packs, bland grey walls, empty without the spirit of its occupant, and where Keiko had so boldly given Yusuke her virginity. She missed him, she needed him, and the thought brought more tears from her tired eyes.

 **xxx**

"ATSUKO URAMESHI!"

Keiko's father bellowed into the phone, his face beat red, one hand gripping the phone and the other clenched in a fist at his side. A vein stood out on his balding temple.

Needless to say, they hadn't taken the news well. Keiko's mother still sat as if petrified in her chair at the kitchen counter. Keiko slumped in her seat, eyes red from crying.

Keiko's father raged on: "Your boy has got my little girl…in trouble! She was supposed to go to a good school!" He jabbed a finger at no one in particular. "Yes I know you don't know where he is, you never do!"

Keiko held the bridge of her nose between her fingertips. She knew her dad would be upset, and since Yusuke wasn't here to yell at, Atsuko was the next best person. Keiko's parents and Atsuko had always gotten along fairly well despite Atsuko's drinking problem, and they had taken Yusuke in their care on multiple occasions, as if the troubled teen had been their own adoptive son. Well now, that was out the window and the sole responsibility rested on her shoulders.

"This didn't happen at my house, Atsuko. You let Yusuke run wild and now my girl is in danger of throwing away her future!"

Keiko yearned for her bed, for a deep sleep. Her shoulders felt heavy and her eyes stung from so many tears in one day. She was past the point of crying. She sagged in her chair, zoning out and turning her dad's voice into an unimportant drone in the background. They had argued and talked for at least two hours, and she still had to call Shizuru and tell her how it went; Keiko considered it a disaster but at least they weren't going to disown her or turn her out in the street.

Keiko's mother had crossed the room and rubbed her back, but Keiko looked away in shame at the sight of her mother's tears and the concern etched on her gentle face.

"Make dad stop," Keiko muttered, voice weak. "It's not her fault."

Her mother shifted her attention to her husband. "Dear, I don't think that's helping."

Mr. Yukimura thrust the phone in her face. The cord jerked at the telephone in the wall. "You talk to her I can't understand a word, she's drunk." He threw up his arms. "Probably won't even remember any of this!"

Her father stomped out of the kitchen and slammed the door, each heavy footfall like a stomp on Keiko's heart. She flinched. She had disappointed him, hurt him, broken his trust.

Her mother's voice was a strained whisper. Keiko heard Atsuko's loud whine from the other side of the phone. "I know. I know. He's just upset. I know you'll help. Between all of us Keiko should be able to finish school."

Keiko rested her head in her hands. A dull headache burrowed behind her eyes. She would continue school until her stomach showed signs of the baby, then she would be homeschooled until after the birth, and during her pregnancy she would study no matter how bad or tired she felt, and raise a baby as a single mother while attending the rest of high school and college. Her father had told her, "get used to no sleep."

They had discussed adoption but Keiko pushed to keep the baby, no matter how hard it would be for her future. She couldn't imagine giving away a baby that looked like Yusuke. Part of her deep down already loved the child, she realized; it was like a tiny piece of him to cling to until he returned from Makai, of course she kept that thought to herself. And of course he would return, he had to, she needed him.

She had always wanted a family, and her daydreams had always included Yusuke even before she realized she loved him. She had forced him to play house when they were kids, with her play kitchen set and chaste kisses on the lips like the married adults did. How ironic of a spread she had received from the game of life, and it tasted like bitterness.

She had told her parents that Yusuke had gone to study martial arts in an isolated country, which sent her father into a fit. She worried about his heart trouble. Her father had always liked Yusuke, sympathized with the troubled teen, growing up in a poor, broken home with an alcoholic mother; but now Keiko didn't think her father would ever forgive him or Keiko herself.

Her father had stormed out into the night, her mother was tied up with a distraught Atsuko, so Keiko forced her tired limbs from the chair and headed up the stairs, thinking of her pillows and the oblivion of sleep. She yawned. "Go check on dad," she mouthed to her mom. Worry over his temper and health twisted her stomach.

She would call Shizuru tomorrow morning. Right now her throat and head hurt, and her body felt as heavy as her heart.

Briefly she wondered for the first time, would she get a boy or a girl?

 **xxx**

* * *

Bit of an angsty chapter eh? I promise it will lighten up with the next few chapters. I don't really like the writing in this one, but oh well. I do this thing where I'm scared of updating cause I'm afraid I'll mess up what good I've got going, but now I'm just telling myself bad yu/kei fics are better than none. lol. I literally just finished this so sorry for any mistakes I didn't catch.

As far as personal stuff feel free not to read this but I'm looking for a job and so I don't have much else to do, and I've stopped drinking and replaced that with writing fics since that's better for me. Still smoke tho. But thats why you're seeing all this yyh stuff lol.

Please write yus/kei stories! For me please! We can keep each other inspired(:

Thanks for reading and any favs or reviews!

xoxo Darkmignonette )o(


	4. Pink

**xxx**

 **xx**

 **x**

 **Four months later;**

Keiko slouched in her chair, studying in the calm pink world of her bedroom. Her old stuffed animals peered at her with big glass eyes, like a fuzzy, silent audience. Keiko sighed. She felt ages too old for her childhood room.

She propped her head up on her desk, hands and feet slightly swollen as she studied the lavender colored crib at the foot of her bed. The neighbors had donated it, after her mother confided Keiko's plight. The nice middle aged couple already had two kids and insisted Keiko take it, as they regarded her with sympathetic eyes.

A headache started behind her temples. Her brain felt too slow for geometry homework tonight. The school had excused her absence, she had a doctor's note, and since Keiko had taken to wearing big pullover sweaters, everyone thought she had a stubborn illness, but the principle knew the truth. That had been fun. Mr. Takenaka had been rather shocked by Keiko's swollen belly, but he had promised he would keep the real reason for her long absence under wraps. She noticed the disappointment in his eyes, which only mirrored the look of her parents in the stuffy office.

"Yusuke tarnished my star student I see." Those words had cut her to the bone. The staff knew of her association with the delinquent, and really he had been the only boy she hung around with, but she didn't know Mr. Takenaka had been that observant.

No, nobody at school knew. Her classmates called but she never answered the phone. She didn't leave the house most days, just studied her lessons like a monk in isolation. She had nothing better to do but to build a life for herself and her baby one good grade at a time.

Her school friends would shun her if they knew the truth. She would be the laughing stock of the whole school. Better to spend her pregnancy aching and alone, instead of the scapegoat of her class. She imagined, if Yusuke was here, he would knock the teeth out of anyone who entertained nasty rumors about Keiko Yukimura. She smiled though the thought pinched her heart.

Her mother held her hair back when she still had bouts of morning sickness. Shizuru visited every other day between her shifts at work. And Atsuko brought bags and bags full of fruit by the house, sometimes stumbling around drunk, sometimes sober. She had given Keiko pre natal vitamins and rubbed Keiko's belly at every opportunity.

Her father still barely said two words to her a week, so she avoided him except when she came down stairs for tense, quiet dinners with her parents. "Sorry daddy" didn't bring him out of his pensive mood. He never talked to Atsuko.

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. She slid sideways in her seat. "Come in."

Shizuru peeked into her room, still clad in her work uniform, ash brown hair plaited into one long braid over her shoulder. "Hey kid," she smiled. "How you holding up?"

Keiko managed a small smile. "I'm alright. The baby has been sitting on my bladder though."

"I've got a surprise, if you feel up to going out. Somebody wants to see you."

 **xxx**

"Botan!"

Keiko hugged the blue haired girl tightly. The scent of bubblegum body spray teased her nose. She had to hug her friend over the obstacle of her pregnant belly, but Botan didn't notice, too excited over their reunion.

She held Keiko for a long minute, chattering in her bubbly voice. "I missed you! It's been what, months? Koenma never gives me a day off anymore."

Keiko pulled back, still holding her friend's shoulders. "It's ok, I missed you too!" And that was the truth. Almost dying together turns anyone into the best of friends. Botan always brightened her day, like a much needed ray of sunshine.

Shizuru puffed on her cigarette. "Lets get some ice cream and catch up."

After they situated themselves in the corner of the little mom and pop diner, Keiko sat happily in the booth with her Oreo mint ice cream cone; she had never liked that particular odd flavor before, but now it was like heaven on her tongue. "What's been going on with you?" she asked the girl across from her.

Botan shrugged. "Spirit World nonsense, blah blah blah. How are you, Keiko?"

Keiko noticed the tone of concern, and a tinge of worry in her friend's vivid fuchsia eyes. Even her eyelashes were colored blue. Keiko knew what Botan was hinting at. Yusuke. _How are you doing without Yusuke?_

She sighed, might as well get this revelation over with. Botan was going to lose her mind. She pulled her oversized navy sweater up, exposing her swollen, six months pregnant belly. Shizuru placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Botan gaped, eyes huge. For once the bluette was at a loss for words. "What...I don't understand…"

Keiko smiled sadly. "It is what it looks like."

"How…" Botan gripped Keiko's hand from across the table. Keiko shifted in her seat, wanting to look away from her friend's shocked expression, though she should have been accustomed to stares by now.

Both brunettes patiently gazed at Botan as she fumbled for words; they let her stew in her surprise. "By the way," Shizuru turned to Keiko. "Kazuma keeps asking about you. You want me to tell him to mind his own business?"

"No it's ok. He's probably just concerned cause I haven't been to school in awhile." She frowned. "It won't be a secret much longer, anyway."

Botan leaned over the table, clutching Keiko's hand in both of her own. Her mouth still hung open. "When did this happen? When had you two gotten so serious? Oh my God Keiko? What happened tell me everything!"

Keiko blinked, trying to keep up with her friend's barrage of questions. "Well.."

Botan continued. "When did you start sleeping together? Keiko you naughty girl!" She grinned.

A crimson flush spread under her collar. "I-it only happened once."

"When?!"

Shizuru shook her head. "Geez Botan, calm it down a little."

The blue haired girl smiled sheepishly. She released Keiko's hand and sat back in her seat. "Sorry."

Keiko stated down at her hands. "It was…an impulsive decision…" She felt both girl's gaze heavy on her shoulders. "It only happened once, but it only takes once. It's true." She licked her ice cream cone. The baby liked mint apparently.

Botan's expression turned sympathetic. Her vanilla ice cream sat in a bowl on the table, forgotten. "Poor dear, you've got the world on your shoulders, don't you?"

Keiko sighed. "It does feel that way right now. But it'll get better. I've got a lot of help." She gazed gratefully at Shizuru. The woman rubbed her back in an almost motherly gesture.

Thankfully the topic of conversation switched from Keiko's brief Sex Life to Helping Keiko. Botan steeled her resolve. "I'll help you too. Anything you need!"

The taste of salt rose high in her throat but she pushed the tears away. "Thank you. Thank you both."

Shizuru looked at Botan. "Can you reach Yusuke?"

Botan frowned in concentration. "I don't know. Maybe. I'll talk to Koenma."

Keiko's mood lifted, but a voice at the back of her mind told her not to get her hopes up just yet. Botan picked up her discarded ice cream bowl. "I'll really try," she said in earnest. "I'll stop and visit whenever I can too. Are your parents helping you?"

"Yeah."

"Even if Yusuke, that idiot, isn't here you'll have help no matter what, promise."

"Thanks," Keiko said in a small voice. "I appreciate the company too."

Botan scowled. "What a bad time to venture off to Makai. He will get an earful from me, that's for sure."

Keiko wiped her lips with a napkin. She may eat the cone too, though she normally left it. "He had to go didn't he? Spirit World is after him."

Botan released a huge sigh. "Yes it's all very complicated. He's been labeled dangerous to Ningenkai. Though we know how 'dangerous' that brat is."

Shizuru puffed on her cigarette. "He's a softy."

Keiko smiled to herself. "He is. But the world still doesn't understand him, they only see that front he puts up and they fear him. Even after all this time."

Shizuru nodded. "He used to be the hero of Ningenkai. Shows how shitty Spirit World is."

Botan held the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "Indeed it is a mess." She studied Keiko's face. "Wow Keiko I can't believe you're…"

"Knocked up? Yeah, me either."

Keiko glanced around. The late afternoon sun cast beams of golden light on the floor, every seat in the diner empty on this Tuesday night except for an elderly couple in the corner. Shizuru savored her chocolate ice cream. The company of her friends eased some of the grey loneliness wedged inside Keiko's heart. She almost felt normal.

Keiko looked at Botan. "Wanna feel my belly?"

Botan's eyes lit up. "Yes!" Her look turned mischievous. "And you're gonna dish out the details of your rendezvous with a certain spirit detective!"

Keiko blushed. "Am not!"

Shizuru laughed.

Later that night, after her friends walked her home, (she hugged the two women each for a long moment), Keiko returned to her quiet bedroom and her never ending pile of homework. Her heart felt brighter, even though the weight of her responsibilities threatened to crush her, and she trudged forward alone.

No, she corrected herself. _Not alone at all._

 **xxx**

She stood in the kitchen, pressing the phone to her ear as she twirled the cord around her fingers. Her sweater hung down to her thighs, and even with the extra large size her baby bump showed at her belly.

Excitement thrummed through her chest. Her mom had taken her to the doctor's this morning, and they had checked the gender of the baby. She waited as three rings went by. If she didn't have an extra little person's weight inside her, she would have jumped up and down in joy.

A groggy voice finally answered on the other line. "Yeah?"

"Atsuko," Keiko breathed. "It's a girl! I'm having a girl!"

"That's great darling!" Atsuko actually squealed in happiness, which Keiko had never heard her do before. It sounded strange coming from the older woman. "A girl! I get a little girl granddaughter! You know Yusuke never let me dress him up."

Keiko laughed. For the first time she didn't feel sad or ashamed about her pregnancy. "You can put her in any dress you like. I might need help with her hair though."

Atsuko laughed. "Keiko I had a boy. But I'll try."

Keiko's mom walked by, and rubbed Keiko's back as she passed with a gentle pressure. Even her father had cracked a smile over the news, for the first time in months. It would be like raising baby Keiko all over again. "Is she healthy?" Atsuko asked.

"The doctor said everything looks fine. She likes to sit on my bladder though."

As her mom made tea she caught Keiko's eye. "Is she excited?"

The teen nodded, eyes sparkling. "We need to get you a proud grandma shirt, don't we mom?"

Her mom laughed. She set the delicate teapot on the stove. "Yes, but that will look odd won't it, considering Atsuko is only twenty nine."

Well that's what happens when you had two generations of teen pregnancies, Keiko thought. Atsuko had been alone and pregnant at fourteen, a few years younger than Keiko's current age. She couldn't even imagine.

"I can't wait to meet her," Atsuko sighed. "Come by the apartment later too I found some of Yusuke's old baby stuff you can have. She will be here before you know it."

The baby kicked, as if she had heard Atsuko's voice. "Time does go by fast." Yusuke's handsome face entered her mind. She wanted time to fly by, she wanted to be back in his arms, hear his laugh, even deal with his stupid pranks. But as her due date approached, she felt more and more nervous over the next looming chapter in her young life: motherhood.

"By the way I found pictures of you in the brat's room." Keiko could almost see Atsuko's smile; she could feel it in her voice. "He really does love you."

Her words left Keiko's heart soaring, as if she had wings.

 **xxx**

"A girl?"

Keiko nodded. She gratefully plopped down on the couch in the Kuwabara household, happy to get the weight off her aching feet. She pretty much waddled everywhere she went nowadays. The house smelled like cats and cigarette smoke, but it had become her second home after Shizuru had helped her through the chaos of the past few months.

The brunette sat across from her in her yellow workclothes, a tired sheen over her hazel eyes. She had just finished a twelve hour shift, though she perked up at the news. "That's great. Wow."

Botan had came by earlier to wait on the verdict. She was almost vibrating in her seat next to Keiko with excitement. Her jeans and sweater clung to her lithe frame, cotten candy blue hair tossed in a messy bun. "A girl!" She enveloped Keiko in a tight hug, one hand on her belly. She rocked her side to side. "A girl a girl a girl!"

Shizuru smiled. "Are you happy?"

Keiko answered her over Botan's shoulder. "As long as the baby is healthy I'm happy. But I am excited." She broke into a smile.

"We need pink EVERYTHING!" The bluette released Keiko and flung her arms into the air. "This is gonna be so much fun!"

Shizuru's lips tilted upward in a tired smile. "Are you nervous?"

"A little."

"Don't mean to interrupt you guy's girl time but.." Kuwabara then strolled into the living room, his shock of orange hair slicked back in the delinquent style even though he studied more than fought these days. He held something behind his back as he approached Keiko. "'Heya Keiko," he smiled his lopsided smile. "Sis told me about…everything, and I just wanted you to know, well, since Urameshi ain't here 'an all, that I'll beat the crap outta anybody at school who talks bad about you."

Keiko beamed at him. "Don't get in trouble cause of me. But thanks Kuwabara."

Shizuru exhaled her cigarette smoke, waving it in the opposite direction of Keiko. Shizuru could see what he held behind his back and she grinned. "That's real nice of you, Kazuma," she said.

A flush spread across his cheeks. Keiko blinked. "And this is for you and Urameshi's kid."

He presented her with a big pink teddy bear. Keiko covered her mouth in happy surprise. "T-thank you!" He handed it to her and she held the bear against her chest and stomach, arms wrapped around the plush fur. "My first pink toy for the baby," she grinned. "Thanks Kuwabara."

He smiled sheepishly. "It ain't nothin. I'm glad I picked the pink one."

"How nice Kuwabara," Botan added. "You know Keiko's had a rough time."

Keiko happily cuddled the soft bear. "Not anymore, thanks to you guys." Tears pricked the corner of her eyes.

Botan patted her shoulder. "We're your friends Keiko."

"Yes we are." Shizuru's look turned thoughtful. "Have you debated any names?"

Botan bounced in her seat. "Ooo yes names!"

Keiko chewed on the corner of her lip. "I'm thinking…I'm thinking about Kaori."

 **xxx**

 **xx**

 **x**

* * *

Well this chapter is hot off the press, so to speak. Sorry bout any mistakes, I'm sure I'll have to edit it some more. And also I don't have kids and don't really know first-hand about the experience lol, I'm sure if I did it would be more accurate, but I'm trying. THANK YOU FOR THE FAVS AND REVIEWS. THANKS FOR READING TOO ^ ^ I know the Yu/Kei fandom isn't huge but this was my first otp and I'll write just so people enjoy their awesomeness, but the feedback is nice. Please donate to the cause & write your own Yu/Kei stories I am dying to read them.

Also I started a Yusuke/Keiko community if anyone is interested. I like hoarding good stories of the pair. There needs to be more. Anyways thanks! The birth is next. Stay tuned.

8/8/16

First edit.

xoxoxo DarkMignonette


End file.
